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ARE,[Town Council Work Session on June 5, 2023.]
OKAY.I'M GONNA CALL THE FRONT ROW TOWN COUNCIL REGULAR WORK SESSION FOR MONDAY, JUNE 5TH TO ORDER.
UM, AND I BELIEVE MS. UH, COUNCILWOMAN MORRIS HAS A MOTION.
MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT COUNCIL APPOINT TOWN MANAGER JOE WALT AS CLERK PROTON FOUR FOR THE REGULAR WORK SESSION OF JUNE 5TH, 2000 FOURTH.
I HAVE A FIRST AND SECOND, AND, UM, EVERYBODY OKAY WITH THAT SECOND? I'M SORRY.
AND, UM, WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION, BUT I WILL LET EVERYBODY KNOW MS. PRESLEY ISN'T GONNA BE HERE TONIGHT, AND JOE HAS SO GRACIOUSLY AGREED TO HELP US RUN THE MEETING AND TAKE NOTES.
SO TALK SLOW AND MAKE SURE WE MAKE EVERYBODY'S GOOD.
SO DOES EVERYBODY OKAY WITH, UM, ANYBODY ELSE HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT ON THAT DISCUSSION? NO.
THEN I GUESS, WE'LL, I GUESS HE CAN TAKE THE ROLL CALL.
WELL, HE'S GONNA DO THE ROLL CALL AFTER.
WE HAD TO APPOINT HIM FIRST TO BE ABLE TO TAKE THE ROLL CALL.
CAN I DO THE, SHOULD I DO THE ROLL CALL FOR THE VOTE? CAN COUNCILMAN INGRAM? YES.
COUNCILWOMAN DE DOO PAYNE? YES.
SO NOW, UH, THAT THE MEETING IS READY.
UH, MR. WALTZ, CAN YOU TAKE ROLL CALL? OKAY.
COUNCILWOMAN DE DEMONACO PAYNE.
AND VICE MAYOR C WHO WILL BE COMING IN JOINING US LATE TODAY? YES.
SO THAT IS, UM, GOT ALL OF THAT FUN STUFF TAKEN CARE OF.
SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER TWO.
AND THESE ARE THE ITEMS THAT ARE GOING TO BE SLATED FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING, UH, FOR JUNE 26TH, RIGHT? YEP.
AND SO THE FIRST ONE UP IS A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR THE SHORT TERM RENTAL AT TWO 11 SOUTH ROYAL AVENUE.
AND MS. ISHK, DO YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THAT ONE FOR US? YEP.
HEY, DO YOU WANT ME TO MOVE? I'M GONNA MOVE IT.
I'M JUST GONNA GET THE
WELL, I'M GONNA MOVE THIS OVER HERE BECAUSE WHEN IT'S THERE, IT PEOPLE CAN'T SEE IT ON THE CAMERA, SO IT ALWAYS TENDS TO GET BACK OVER THERE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW, BUT I NEED A LITTLE SILENCE.
SO THE FIRST ITEM IS THE SHORT TERM RENTAL FOR VESTA PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, AND THAT'S AT TWO 11 SOUTH ROYAL AVENUE.
THIS IS IN THE, UM, IT IS ACTUALLY JUST OUTSIDE THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, BUT IT IS IN OUR, UM, COMMERCIAL HIGHWAY DISTRICT.
AND THEN HERE'S THE PLOT OF THE PROPERTY.
SO WHAT THEY'RE REQUESTING IS A, UH, THREE BEDROOM FOR NO MORE THAN SIX PEOPLE.
UH, RENTAL, SHORT-TERM RENTAL, UM, STAFF WENT OUT, WE INSPECTED IT.
THERE'S AMPLE PARKING, UH, PLANNING, COMMISSION HELD PUBLIC HEARING ON, UH, MAY 17TH, AND THEY RECOMMENDED APPROVAL WITH NO CONDITIONS.
MAY I ASK IF ANY, DID ANY, UM, CITIZENS SHOW UP AT THE PUBLIC HEARING? NO.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UH, THERE'S PLENTY OF PARKING IN THE BACK.
YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A WHOLE PARKING LOT.
THIS USED TO BE A, I BELIEVE IT WAS VERY SIMPLE.
IT WAS A BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL OFFICE.
IS THAT WHERE THOSE APARTMENT, IS THAT THE OTHER YEAH, IT IS.
AND THEN THE OTHER SIDE IS, UM, THE BOOKSTORE AND THEN LOOKS GONNA BE POPPY'S PLACE.
ANYBODY, ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR AND STAFF? FEELS GOOD ABOUT IT? MM-HMM.
SO THE NEXT STEP IS 1121 JOHN MARSHALL HIGHWAY.
SO THE NEXT, UH, THREE ITEMS TOTAL ARE ALL UNDER THE SAME APPLICANT, BUT BECAUSE THERE ARE THREE PARCELS, WE HAD TO TAKE IN THREE SEPARATE PERMITS.
THE FIRST, UH, PARCEL IS 1121 JOHN MARSHALL HIGHWAY.
SO THIS IS THE, UM, AERIAL, THIS IS THE PARCEL WITH WHAT WAS, I GUESS, THE MAIN HOUSE OR OFFICE WHEN THIS WAS, UH, IN THE DRIVE-IN MOTEL, UM, THE, THE RENOVATIONS.
SO, UM, THIS PROPERTY, I BELIEVE THERE'S THREE BEDROOMS. SO THAT 1, 11 21 IS JUST THE MAIN HOUSE.
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AND THEN THE NEXT ONE, UM, 1125 JOHN MARSHALL HIGHWAY.IT'S AN L-SHAPED LOT THAT WAS CARVED OUT.
THERE ARE THREE STRUCTURES ON IT.
TWO OF THEM HAVE BEEN CONNECTED BY A TR TO CREATE ONE PRIMARY STRUCTURE, AND THEN THERE'S AN ACCESSORY STRUCTURE.
AND OUR SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE DOES PERMIT ACCESSORY STRUCTURES TO BE USED AS SHORT TERM RENTALS.
BUT I BELIEVE HERE YOU WOULD HAVE TWO OCCUPANTS PER UNIT.
I DON'T THINK YOU'D HAVE SOMEWHERE SIX HERE.
AND THAT'S BEHIND THE MAIN HOUSE.
I BELIEVE THAT'S, IT'S KIND OF TO, TO THE SIDE.
WELL, I THINK THE ONES OVER HERE ON THE LEFT THAT ARE CLOSEST TO THE YELLOW HOUSE, THAT'S GONNA BE ITS OWN.
SO THAT'S ITS OWN SEPARATE PARCEL.
UM, AND AT ONE POINT IN TIME, I'M ASSUMING THIS WAS ALL ONE PIECE AND THERE WAS A WHOLE HORSESHOE OF MM-HMM.
AND I BELIEVE SOME HAVE BEEN DEMOLISHED OVER TIME.
AND THEN 1135 IS THE LAST TWO, UH, THESE ARE, THIS IS THE ONE CLOSEST TO JOHN MARSHALL.
UM, AND THEN THE ONE JUST NEXT TO IT.
UM, SO THOSE WILL BE FOR NO MORE THAN FOUR TOTAL.
THE PRIMARY, WHICH WOULD BE THE LARGER ONE, AND THEN THE ACCESSORY STRUCTURE.
UM, AND PLANNING COMMISSION HELD THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ON THE 17TH AS WELL.
WE HAD QUITE A FEW PEOPLE SIGN UP TO SPEAK, BUT, UM, THEY RECOMMEND APPROVAL, UM, ON THE, UM, ON 1121 AND 1125, THEY RECOMMENDED TWO CONDITIONS, AND THAT WAS THAT IT NEEDS TO PASS THE FINAL INSPECTION.
SO THESE UNITS ARE NOT COMPLETE, SO STAFF COULDN'T DO THE FINAL INSPECTION.
AND THEN, UM, THEY ASK THAT THERE BE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT, UH, CONTINGENCY OF ONE YEAR SO THAT THEY'RE VALID FOR ONE YEAR, AND THEN AT WHICH TIME THE APPLICANT WOULD COME BACK.
AND THAT JUST GIVES STAFF A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA CONTROL, MAKE SURE THAT THIS USE FITS THIS AREA.
BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THE FUTURE, UH, LAND USE MAP SHOWS AS BEING A GATE MIXED USE COMMERCIAL, RIGHT NOW IT'S SURROUNDED BY FAIRLY LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL.
BUT I, I DON'T RECALL SINCE BEING ON COUNCIL THAT WE'VE HAD ANY SHORT TERM RENTALS WHERE WE PUT A RESTRICTION OF IT ONLY BEING A YEAR.
NORMALLY WE'VE JUST, YEAH, BECAUSE I THOUGHT THE, I THINK THE BASIS, THE INTENT, YEAH.
THE INTENT WAS IF THERE WAS A COMPLAINT, THEN, THEN WE WOULD GO BACK.
CUZ WE CAN ALWAYS PULL IT AT ANY, WE COULD ALWAYS PULL THE SHORT TERM RENTAL, UH, PERMISSION AT ANY TIME.
UM, SO, SO WAS THERE, SO THE REASONING WAS JUST THAT KEEPING IT TO A YEAR, I THINK YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE INTENSITY OF THE USE BECAUSE AT THE START OF THE PROJECT, THIS WAS GONNA BE LIKE A LONG-TERM RENTAL SITUATION, AND THEN IT'S EVOLVED OVER TIME.
AND NOW, UM, THE APPLICANT BROUGHT IN, YOU KNOW, THEIR, THEIR PLAN FOR IT, WHICH IS THAT IT'S GONNA BE AN EVENT CENTER AND, AND WE DON'T HAVE THAT AS A USE.
YEAH, THAT'S, NO, NO, YOU GO IN, YOU DO IT FIRST.
MY UNDERSTANDING IT'S THIS IS AN R ONE APPROVAL FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT.
AND I CAN UNDERSTAND IT KIND, I CAN UNDERSTAND IT FOR THE THREE UNITS, INDIVIDUAL STANDALONE UNITS, WHAT'S UNIQUE TO ME IN MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE, UM, IS THE DEFINITION OF USE FOR THE LARGE HOUSE, WHICH COULD BE IN A DEPTH CENTER.
NOW THAT TO ME IS COMPLETELY, UM, UH, IT'S QUESTIONABLE.
I THINK IN TERMS OF R ONE ZONING, WHICH IS AS WE'VE ALWAYS DONE.
SO THIS IS A UNIQUE CONSIDERATION THAT, THAT WE'RE, WE'RE INVOLVED IN.
NOW, AND I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE HOW WE GOT THROUGH A R ONE ZONING WITH AN EVENT CENTER WITHOUT THAT BEING AN ISSUE.
WELL, SO WHAT'S ON THE PERMIT IS A SHORT-TERM RENTAL.
SO SHE'S APPLIED FOR A SHORT-TERM RENTAL.
WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WHAT HER GUESTS DO ON THAT PROPERTY, AS LONG AS THEY'RE NOT VIOLATING OUR NOISE ORDINANCE OR OUR ORDINANCE THAT DOESN'T ALLOW FIREARMS, THINGS LIKE THAT, IT LIMITS OUR ABILITY TO CONTROL.
LIKE IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO JUST GET MARRIED IN YARD, I DON'T HAVE A, SO WE'RE DEFINING IT MORE AS A SHORT-TERM RENTAL EVENTS CENTER TYPE.
THEY'VE APPLIED FOR A SHORT-TERM RENTAL.
THE EVENT CENTER USE DOES NOT EXIST IN OUR
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ORDINANCE.WHICH TO BE FAIR, UH, AND FOR THE PUBLIC CARE, CONFUSED BY IT, ANY SHORT-TERM RENTAL THAT WE'VE PASSED SO FAR, PEOPLE COULD HAVE ANY EVENT THAT THEY WANTED AT THAT HOUSE.
AND IF THERE'S A COMPLAINT THAT WE RESPOND ON A MONTHLY BASIS IN THE NUMBER OF CARS, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO STAY OVERNIGHT, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO VISIT THE HOME ARE NOT RESTRICTED.
WELL, SOME OF THE APPLICANTS, WELL, YOU LOOK AT THAT THEN.
WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY COMPLAINTS SO FAR.
WELL, SOME, SOME OF THE APPLICANTS IN, IN, IN, IN PREVIOUS, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR SUBS HAVE, UH, SHORTTERM REYNOLDS HAVE, HAVE MADE IT THEIR OWN RULE FOR NO PARTY.
SO, AND THEY, AND THEY CAN, YEAH.
SO I DIDN'T SEE IT IN HERE, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S NOT PART OF OUR ORDINANCE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T SEE WHERE IT WAS EXCLUDED TO SAY OR EXPLICITLY CAUGHT OUT TO SAY NO PARTY.
SO THAT'S, WE DON'T HAVE THAT IN OUR ORDINANCE.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THIS COUNCIL TO CONSIDER THIS, THIS IS A VERY UNIQUE REQUEST RIGHT NOW, GIVEN THE ZONING, EXISTING ZONING.
I THINK THAT IS AN OUTSTANDING ADDITION TO THIS COMMUNITY.
WHAT I'M QUESTIONING IS THE FRAMEWORK IN WHICH IT'S BEING ZONED.
THAT'S MY CONCERN, COUNCILMAN.
WEREN'T YOU? YOU KNOW, I, I MEAN, UH, LOOK, UH, THE APPLICANT TOOK, TOOK A DILAPIDATED, UH, PROPERTY AND HAS CONVERTED IT INTO SOMETHING THAT IS GONNA BE THERE ON THE MAIN STRIP COMING IN, SUDDENLY ADDED TO THE ENTRANCEWAY TO OUR TOWN.
SO, NO, NO ONE CAN ARGUE THAT.
UM, IT, IT'S CLEAR TO ME THAT THE, THE, THE ULTIMATE INTENT IS FOR THIS TO BE SOMEWHAT OF A COMMERCIAL, UM, ESTABLISHMENT.
I MEAN, SO THE, THE, THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE IS THE PROBLEM, IF THERE IS A PROBLEM, THE PROBLEM IS NOT SO MUCH WHAT HAS BEEN DONE.
IT'S OUR SHORT TERM RENTAL ORDINANCE.
WE, WE NEED TO TIGHTEN IT UP A LITTLE BIT.
AND I DON'T, I I I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THIS ON A WORK SESSION IN THE FUTURE, UH, TO DISCUSS IT.
AND, UH, UH, SO AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT'S GOING TO GO THROUGH.
IT'S JUST THAT, UH, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT CONCERNS ME A LITTLE BIT WITH THE EVENTS CENTER BECAUSE AS, UH, OUR PLANNING DIRECTOR HAS, UH, UM, MENTIONED IN THE BEGINNING, IT WASN'T, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE LONG TERM.
WE'VE UTILIZED THIS, I DON'T REALLY WANT TO CALL IT A LOOPHOLE, BUT WE, WE'VE U UTILIZED THIS IN ORDER TO CHANGE IT INTO, INTO WHAT WE HAVE TODAY.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S A, YOU KNOW, IT'S BE, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL LOOKING ADDITION TO THE TOWN.
I ALSO THINK TOO, UM, PART OF THE, UM, OBSTACLE WAS THAT IT SAT FOR A WHILE BECAUSE TECHNICALLY IT WAS NOT RESIDENTIAL.
UM, OBVIOUSLY IT WAS A, I THINK THEY CALLED, THEY CALLED IT A MOTOR IN THE EXISTENCE.
WAS IT EXISTED PRIOR TO US HAVING YEAH, THAT WAS ZONING.
BUT, BUT IT WAS, WELL, BELIEVE IT OR NOT MM-HMM.
I HAD STUDENTS WHO'D RENTED THOSE, SO, UM, YEAH.
THAT, THAT MAIN HOUSE WAS A RENTAL FOR A LONG TIME.
AND THE LITTLE PIECES WERE, THEY COULD, ANYWAY, REGARDLESS, IT DOESN'T MATTER.
HISTORY'S HISTORY, UH, WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT EVENT CENTER, THOUGH, AND I THINK FROM WHAT I'VE, FROM WHAT I'VE GATHERED, I, I DON'T, I THINK THAT THEY, FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN, LIKE IT MIGHT BE THAT, AS AMBER SAID, LIKE A SMALL WEDDING OR LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, A, UM, A BRIDAL PARTY OR, WELL, I, MY FAMILY WILL KINDA RENT IT FOR OUR FAMILY REUNION NEXT YEAR FOR ARKANSAS IN FLORIDA.
SO I THINK THE IDEA, I THINK, I THINK THERE'S, THEY'RE USING THE TERM EVENT CENTER AND REALLY, I THINK IT'S MORE LIKE JUST A GATHERING PLAN.
ANY STRUCTURE CAN BE AN EVENT CENTER.
WELL, THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING.
LIKE, I COULD HAVE A WEDDING IN MY BACKYARD AND THERE'S NOTHING ANYBODY CAN DO ABOUT IT.
HOWEVER, I HAVE TO FOLLOW THE NOISE ORDINANCES AND I, AND THEY'RE, EVERYBODY CAN PARK ON THE STREET BECAUSE IT'S A TOWN STREET.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AND YOU'LL HAVE ONSITE PARKING FOR THIS.
THE USE IS ABSOLUTELY APPROPRIATE.
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IS WHAT'S MAKING THIS YES.ABOUT OCCUPANCY THOUGH, FOR THE DOES OCCUPANCY ONLY, UM, FOLLOW OVERNIGHT OR DOES THAT OVERNIGHT OCCUPANT.
SO, BUT NO, BUT WOULDN'T YOU, IF YOU WERE GONNA CALL THAT AN EVENT CENTER, YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE A FOR FIRE CODE, WOULDN'T YOU HAVE TO HAVE A AND THAT WOULD BE UNDER THE PURVIEW OF THE FIRE MARSHAL TO LIMIT THE TOTAL OCCUPANCY OF THE PROPERTIES.
AND I'M THINKING HE'D HAVE TO DO IT BASED ON EACH PARCEL.
WELL, YOU, THESE, THESE ARE, THESE ARE, THIS IS ANOTHER GOOD REASON WHY IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA YOU NEED AN OWNER OCCUPIED.
AND, UH, THAT, NO, I, I KNOW THAT'S, THAT, THAT WOULD, UH, HELP OUT A WHOLE LOT.
I DON'T THINK THIS IS GONNA EVER BE OWNER OCCUPIED.
WE HAVE THE 65 PLUS PERCENT RENT IN FRONT OIL.
THERE'S NOT ENOUGH OWNERS TO OCCUPY ALL THE HOMES THAT WE HAVE IN THE TOWN.
BUT WAS ANYBODY SIGNED UP AT THE PUBLIC HEARING OPPOSED TO THIS? OR WERE THEY ALL IN FAVOR? I'M AWARE OF, SO EVERYBODY WHO SPOKE AT THE LAST PUBLIC HEARING, PLUS IT'S JUST A HOP, SKIP AND A JUMP FROM DOWNTOWN, LIKE, FROM RIGHT.
FROM THE RESTAURANTS AND STUFF.
SO, LIKE, IT'S NOT, TO ME, I PASS IT EVERY DAY.
I'M, I'M NOT, I'M NOT QUESTIONING IT.
I'M NOT QUESTIONING THE RESULT.
I'M, I'M QUESTIONING THE WAY IT FITS IN TO, HONESTLY, IT'S THE SHORT TERM RENTAL.
IT'S ODD THAT THAT AREA ALONG THE HIGHWAY WAS EVER ZONED LOW DENSITY RENTAL.
SO THAT SHOULD HAVE ALWAYS BEEN COMMERCIAL.
AND THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT AS WE LOOK AT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND FINALIZING AND TWEAKING THINGS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THERE'S A CHURCH ACROSS THE STREET, AND THEN SHENDO COMMONS RIGHT BESIDE OF, I MEAN, QUITE HONESTLY, YOU CAN WALK OUT THAT LAST ONE RIGHT THERE.
AND PROBABLY YOU'RE, YOU'RE, WELL, THE CHURCH IS RIGHT THERE, BUT, BUT THE SHINO COMMONS IS RIGHT BESIDE IT.
THE MOOSE IS RIGHT DOWN THE STREET.
AND THE MOOSE IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SHINDO COMMONS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF, UH, WESTMINSTER.
BUT, BUT, UM, BUT I, BUT I WILL SAY I DO, I DO RESPECT THE QUESTIONS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU DO HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF ARE, YOU KNOW, ARE WE MAKING IT FIT? AND, AND, YOU KNOW, I I JUST, I JUST KEEP THINKING TO MYSELF, IT IS JUST AN AMAZING THING.
AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVEN'T HEARD FROM THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THAT AREA, THAT YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD THINK THAT THEY, LIKE I'M THINKING THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE BESIDE IT OR BEHIND IT OR THINGS LIKE THAT MAY, I WOULD IMAGINE THEY WOULD BE THE ONES THAT WOULD BE CONCERNED BECAUSE THEY'RE IN A RESIDENTIAL AND MAYBE THEY'LL COME TO THE PUBLIC HEARING.
BUT, UM, BUT I, I DON'T, I THINK THE WORD EVENT CENTER IS JUST QUITE HONESTLY THE BUZZWORD RIGHT NOW.
I'M SORRY, WHERE DID THE WORD COME FROM? THAT'S THE APPLICANT'S WORD.
SO, AND AGAIN, I, YOU KNOW, I, I FEEL THE SAME WAY THAT PROBABLY ALL OF US DO HERE.
THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA BE A GREAT ADDITION TO THIS COMMUNITY.
I'M NOT SURE HOW IT GOT THROUGH THE PROCESS WITH AN R ONE, AND NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT A, UM, A, A, A FACILITY.
UM, AND, AND THAT'S WHAT THAT IS.
UH, IT'S A MAIN HOUSE AND IT'S OUT BUILDINGS AND SO FORTH.
AND I'LL BE HONEST, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL HICCUPS ALONG THE WAY, BUT THEY'VE ALWAYS COME IN, THEY'VE WORKED WITH US, AND WE'VE, WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING WE CAN TO GET THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
AND IT IS, I MEAN, I, UM, AND I'M GLAD TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT BECAUSE I MEAN, UM, I'VE KNOWN THE AFRICAN, I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW LONG BECAUSE WE WENT TO SCHOOL TOGETHER.
AND I THINK THAT SHE, I THINK SHE HAS SUCH, I MEAN, HONESTLY, I'M LIKE YOU, I
I MEAN, I'VE LIVED OUT THERE FOR 27 YEARS NOW, AND I'VE DROVE BY AT LEAST TWO TIMES A DAY, SOMETIMES FOUR, WHEN I WAS TAKING MY KIDS TO TAKE CARE.
AND I WOULD'VE NEVER HAD THE VISION THAT THAT HAS TURNED OUT TO LOOK LIKE.
AND I FEEL LIKE IT'S EVEN EVOLVED, THE ENVISION FROM THE FIRST PART AND HOW IT'S GOTTEN LARGER AND THE FIRE PIT AND ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS OR WHATEVER.
BUT I'M GLAD TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT WHENEVER THERE'S BEEN A CONCERN, THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO TRY TO ADDRESS IT.
AND I FEEL LIKE THAT WOULD HAPPEN.
I FEEL LIKE THAT WOULD HAPPEN MOVING FORWARD TOO, THAT IF, YOU KNOW, IF ALL OF A SUDDEN AN EVENT CENTER TURNS INTO, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED PEOPLE THERE, THAT WE MIGHT, YOU KNOW, THERE MIGHT BE CONCERNS, BUT I DON'T SEE THAT, FIRST OFF.
I DOUBT IT'S GONNA BE EX, I DOUBT THAT IT'S GONNA BE EXTREMELY REASONABLE.
SO, NO, I MEAN, LET'S BE HONEST, I THINK THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA RENT IT ARE HOPEFULLY NOT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE PEOPLE THAT ARE TEARING THINGS UP OR PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO BE MAKING LOUD, YOU KNOW, BEING AN INCONVENIENCE TO THE NEIGHBORS THAT ARE NEARBY.
BUT IF THEY ARE, THEY CAN COMPLAIN.
AND THEN WE ADDRESS IT, A PLACE LISTED ON AIRBNB, IF IT DOESN'T GET A CERTAIN RATING, IT GETS
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PULLED OFF, IT GETS LI GETS REMOVED, YOU HAVE TO MAKE A WHOLE NEW LIST OR, OR JUST NOT LISTED ANYMORE.UM, V RBO O YOU KNOW, NOW THEY ACTUALLY ADD, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEIR ADVERTISEMENTS ARE, ARE BASED UPON, YOU KNOW, NOT HAVING GOD'S SPENT WHOLE, YOU KNOW, WHEREAS, YOU KNOW, UH, SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT PLATFORMS. BUT, UM, NOW YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY ANSWERED THIS, LAUREN, BUT IT'S JUST A TRIVIAL QUESTION.
BUT WAS THERE A REASONING BETWEEN HAVING 1125 OR 1135 THE YEAR, YOU KNOW, UH, IT, IT WAS JUST, JUST TRIVIAL OR IT'S JUST, JUST WAY YEP.
THAT'S JUST HOW THE ADDRESSING WORKED OUT WHEN GOTCHA.
SHE INITIALLY STARTED WITH TWO PARCELS.
WE HAD TO HAVE HER MAKE THREE TO COME INTO COMPLIANCE.
I JUST, IT'S JUST HOW IT, OKAY.
I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS A SPECIFIC REASON WHY.
CAUSE I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, UH, WE'VE TAKEN THIS INTO CONSIDERATION WITH ALL OF THE SHORT-TERM RENTALS THAT HAVE COME BEFORE THIS.
THE APPLICANT MAY NOT EVEN ADVERTISE THESE ON AIRBNB OR VRBO.
UH, WE HAVE SEVERAL SHORT-TERM RENTALS AND TOWN LIMITS THAT DON'T ADVERTISE ON THOSE WEBSITES.
AND FOR THE ONES THAT DO, UM, THE OWNER GETS REVIEWED AS WELL AS THE PEOPLE RENTING THE PLACE.
UM, SO WHEN THIS COMES TO A VOTE, I INTEND TO HAVE LANGUAGE ADDED GEORGE TO REMOVE A ONE YEAR, UH, REAPPLICATION.
I THINK THAT OUR CODE CLEARLY DEFINES THAT WE RESPOND ON A COMPLAINT BASIS.
WE'VE HAD TO RESPOND TO ZERO COMPLAINTS SO FAR FOR SHORT TERM RENTALS.
UM, AND IF WE DO, WE DO HAVE THE STAFF ADEQUATE TO PROVIDE THOSE, UM, RESPONSES.
SO I THINK THAT THE APPLICANT HAS SHOWN MULTIPLE PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY OF WARREN THAT SHOW HER PRIDE IN THE COMMUNITY.
SHE'S INVESTED GREATLY, NOT ONLY IN THIS PROPERTY, BUT IN WARREN COUNTY AND FORT ROYAL.
AND SHE'S CONTINUING TO DO SO.
SO, UH, IT WOULDN'T BEHOOVE HER TO HAVE SOMEWHERE THAT HAD A NEGATIVE CONNOTATION ATTACHED TO IT.
UM, AND I THINK IT SPEAKS VOLUMES AT THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING, EVERYBODY WAS IN FAVOR.
UM, AND AS SOMEONE WHO KNOWS ONE OF THE FORMER OWNERS OF THIS PROPERTY, I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE WHAT SHE'S DONE WITH IT.
LIKE YOU SAID, THE VISION THAT SHE HAD, THE PRIDE THAT SHE'S TAKEN IN THIS PROJECT AND THE INVESTMENT THAT SHE'S MADE INTO, IT SAYS A LOT.
UM, I'VE SAID IT BEFORE IN FRONT OF OTHER COUNCILS, AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN.
THERE'S NO, UH, SHORT-TERM ACCOMMODATIONS IN THE TOWN LIMITS CURRENTLY THAT I PUT MY FAMILY IN.
WHEN THEY COME TO FRONT ROYAL, IF THERE'S NOT, UH, ROOM AVAILABLE OUT IN THE COMMONS CORRIDOR, WHICH IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE INCREASING, THEY'RE BOOKED OUT.
UM, THEY DON'T STAY IN FRONT ROYAL.
THEY STAY IN WINCHESTER AND DRIVE OVER WHEN THEY VISIT US OR GO TO THE SCOTLAND DRIVE.
SO THIS IS ABSOLUTELY SOMEWHERE THAT I THINK, UH, PEOPLE WILL BE PROUD TO STAY AND EXCITED TO STAY.
AND IT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT.
IT'S WHAT THE COUNCIL'S BEFORE US VISION HAS BEEN FOR FRONT ROYAL.
IT'S CLEANED UP SOMETHING AND IT'S MADE SOMETHING NICE OF IT, AND IT'LL BRING IN REVENUE FOR THE TOWN.
WE'RE GONNA GET REVENUE OFF OF THIS AND MORE WAYS THAN ONE THAT WE WEREN'T GETTING BEFORE.
AND I WILL SAY ONE THING, IT'S NOT GONNA BE LIKE, YOU KNOW HOW OUR CON, SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT I THINK WERE VERY VALID, THAT HAVE BEEN VERY VALID ABOUT SHORT-TERM RENTALS ARE PEOPLE THAT DON'T LIVE HERE, DON'T LIVE ANYWHERE NEAR HERE, THAT LIVE DOWN IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA AND HAVE BOUGHT UP PLACES TO RENTS, YOU KNOW, OUTTA SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT IS, SHE LIVES HERE.
SHE'S, YOU KNOW, ACCESSIBLE, YOU KNOW, WITH PHONE CALL THAT I'M SURE SHE'S GONNA MANAGE IT HERSELF.
SHE HAS A REAL ESTATE LLC,
IT'S A VALID POINT TOO, THAT YOU ARE SORT OF MENTIONING OR ALLUDING TO, WHICH IS THIS COULD BE USED, YOU KNOW, OTHER SHORT-TERM RENTALS.
NO, NONE OF US ARE GONNA GO SOMEWHERE ELSE IN TOWN AND HAVE A SHORT TERM ROOM.
BUT I CAN SEE ANY OF US, I'M GONNA STAY THERE.
WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT HUSBAND, LIKE WE'RE, WE'RE GOING THERE.
BUT, UH, COUNCILMAN, I DO WANNA SAY, I WROTE DOWN A NOTE, UM, THAT, AND IT MAY NOT BE IN JUNE, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'LL BE IN JULY, BUT SOON, THAT WE WANT TO ADD SHORT TERM RENTALS TO A FUTURE WORK SESSION.
WHEN WE FIRST APPROVED THE SHORT TERM RENTAL, YOU KNOW, THE ORDINANCES AND STUFF LIKE THAT, WE ALL RECOGNIZED THAT IT WAS, WE WERE JUMPING OFF.
WE, WE TRIED TO USE WHAT THE COUNTY HAD TO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TRIED TO MODEL IT OFF OF OTHER SUCCESSFUL, UM, PLACES.
AND, BUT WE KNEW, I MEAN, I SAY WE KNEW, BUT WE TALKED CUZ WE HAD CONCERNS THEN.
BUT WE WERE LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE'RE THERE WERE PEOPLE RENTING, THERE WERE PEOPLE ALREADY ON, IN TOWN ON AIRBNB.
THEY JUST WEREN'T PAYING US ANYTHING.
PJ AND THEY WEREN'T, THEY WERE DOING IT ANYWAY.
AND WE WEREN'T FORCING IT AND WE WEREN'T GETTING ANY MONEY FROM IT.
AND WE, SO WE KIND OF SAID, LET'S DO THIS.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A WORKING THING.
WE CAN ALWAYS GO BACK AND CHANGE IT.
SO I THINK PUTTING THAT ON A FUTURE WORK SESSION IS A GOOD IDEA.
I THINK THAT ALL OF US SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT
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CONCERNS WE MIGHT HAVE OR THINGS THAT WE MAY WANT TO CHECK.THINGS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE THAT NOW WE'RE LIKE, OH, MAYBE WE DIDN'T NEED THAT.
UM, CUZ THE COUNTY, I MEAN, I, I FEEL LIKE EVERY MEETING THEY HAVE, THEY'VE GOT, LIKE, WE MIGHT HAVE FOUR, THEY MIGHT HAVE LIKE 10 AT EVERY MEETING.
SO, UM, BUT ANYWAY, SO BRUCE, WE WILL DEFINITELY PUT IT ON A FUTURE WORK SESSION, RIGHT JOE? NO.
AND, AND, AND I'LL JUST ADD THAT, UM, AT AFTER THE YEAR.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT MADE ME THAT THE APPLICANT SINCE THAT AREA IS, IS UH, TARGETED AS, UH, COMMERCIAL MIS MISUSE THAT SHE, UH, THAT THE APPLICANT MAY DECIDE TO RESUME COMMERCIAL.
I MEAN, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A WIN-WIN.
I MEAN, I SAW SOME, UH, UH, INTERESTING FOLKS OVER THE WEEKEND DOWNTOWN BECAUSE OF THE, THE NEW STUDIO MM-HMM.
I WAS JUST GONNA ADD TO YOUR POINT, COUNCILWOMAN THOMPSON WENT TO VML TWO YEARS AGO.
AND YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW THIS CAME TO FRUITION.
UH, THE VIRGINIA MUNICIPAL LEAGUE TRAININGS THAT WE'RE ALL INVITED TO AND WE CAN GO TO ACTUALLY HAD AN ENTIRE DAY LONG SESSION ON SHORT TERM RENTALS BECAUSE IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT SPECIAL TO FRONT ROYAL.
UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT LOCALITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE FACING DURING THE HOUSING SHORTAGE.
UM, AND SO WE HAD TO START SOMEWHERE MM-HMM.
THERE'S THAT LITTLE PORTION THAT'S THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER.
BUT, SO WE JUST KIND OF ARE LEARN IT AND FIGURING IT OUT AS WE GO.
BUT WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY ISSUES, WHICH I THINK SPEAKS A LOT TO OUR PLANNING AND ZONING DEPARTMENT AND OUR SOMEWHERE.
AND SO THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT CUZ ZERO COMPLAINTS AND WHAT IS IT? A YEAR PLUS BEEN OVER A YEAR? WE HAD OVER 18 IF WE'VE, I CAN TELL YOU EVERY ZONING CONFERENCE I GO TO THE LAST THREE YEARS, SHORT TERM RENTALS HAVE BEEN ON THERE.
WELL THIS, THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I'M PROMOTING OUTTA THE BAT BECAUSE WON'T WANT PEOPLE TO TAKE BUILDINGS THAT AREN'T IN USE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND DO STUFF LIKE THIS WITH HIM.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT WAS THE WHOLE, THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASON, MAIN REASONS I WAS A PROPONENT FOR IT.
AND HONESTLY, I, I HOPE WHEN IT'S ALL SAID AND DONE, I KNOW SHE'S PUT A LOT OF DIFFERENT LITTLE VIDEOS TOGETHER OUT ON FACEBOOK, BUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
BUT, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING, CUZ SHE HAS DONE, I THINK TODAY THERE WAS ONE THAT WAS KIND OF LIKE A BEFORE AND IT WAS ALL THE BEFORES.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU KIND OF FORGET WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE BEFORE BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN WATCHING IT.
SO, UM, I THINK, AND I, I AGREE WITH YOU, UM, COUNCILMAN INGRAM, LIKE THERE ARE LOTS OF PLACES ALL OVER TOWN THAT I WISH SOMEBODY WOULD LOOK AT IT AND SEE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY.
THAT'S THE ONE THING ABOUT SHORT-TERM RENTALS, I WILL SAY THAT I NEVER THOUGHT OF UNTIL SOMEBODY POINTED IT OUT TO ME.
THEY SAID, PEOPLE ARE, WERE WORRIED ABOUT THAT BEING IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA.
AND THEY SAID THAT PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO RENT SOMETHING OUT FOR A SHORT TERM RENTAL, THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF IT BECAUSE WHO'S GOING, HOW ARE, BECAUSE THEY REVIEW IT WHEN THEY OH, WORK GETS OUT REAL QUICK.
SO WHO WANTS TO GO SOMEWHERE WHERE IT'S NOT NICE AND SOMETIMES THEY TAKE, SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE GONNA TAKE BETTER CARE OF IT THAN MAYBE SAY A HOMEOWNER MIGHT BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY WANT IT TO LOOK APPEALING TO OTHERS.
SO ANYWAY, UM, SO WE'LL PUT THAT ON A FUTURE WORK SESSION.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ABOUT 21, 25, 35.
AND THAT WILL HAVE, THERE WILL BE A PUBLIC HEARING FOR EACH OF THOSE ON THE 26TH.
I CAN, I MEAN, NOT THAT I THINK, I DON'T MEAN THAT IN A NEGATIVE, I'M JUST THINKING THERE WILL BE, BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL COME OUT TO BE SUPPORTIVE TOO.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? BE SPEAKERS.
MOVING ON TO EAT, UM, THE SPECIAL EXCEPTION FROM PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
SO I'M 15 CHESTER STREET, AND I DON'T BELIEVE THE APPLICANTS WERE HERE FOR THAT EITHER, BUT, OKAY.
SO THIS, THE HOUSE, I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, BUT, UM, THE APPLICANT IS WISHING TO TURN THIS INTO A PROFESSIONAL OFFICE SPACE.
AND BECAUSE OF THE WAY OUR ORDINANCE IS WRITTEN, I HAVE TO USE THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE ENTIRE BUILDING WHEN I CALCULATE PARKING.
SO BASED ON A 2,700 SQUARE FOOT STRUCTURE, THEY HAVE TO HAVE NINE PARKING SPACES.
UM, AND AROUND, HERE'S THE PLAT.
I THINK THAT THEY COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE AMPLE AREA, BUT WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO DO IS CUT DOWN ALL OF SHRUBS.
YOU'D HAVE TO CUT DOWN ALL OF THE TREES AND YOU WOULD JUST CREATE THE HOUSE WITH A ASPHALT LOT RIGHT.
UM, SO THEREFORE THEY'RE ASKING FOR
[00:30:01]
AN EXCEPTION TO JUST REQUIRE FOUR PARKING SPACES.THEY ATTEMPTED TO GET TO LEASE PARKING FROM THE NEIGHBORING USE, BUT THEN THAT USE WOULDN'T HAVE SUFFICIENT PARKING.
WHAT IS THE NEIGHBORING USE? BECAUSE BEHIND IT'S THE PAVILION, THERE'S A PAVILION AND THEN OVER THERE ARE APARTMENTS.
AND SO THEY NEED THEIR, BECAUSE THE PARKING EXEMPTION, THE PARKING EXEMPTION WAS NOT EXTENDED DOWN TO CHESTER.
SO THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN A YEAR THAT WE, THIS HAS HAPPENED.
SAME WHEN I WAS TALKING ON THIS AREA.
SO HONESTLY, MY RECOMMENDATION IS WE NEED TO LOOK AT EITHER GETTING RID OF THE PARKING EXEMPTION OR EXTENDING IT TO CHESTER.
CUZ DOESN'T, IT'S NOT RIGHT TO HAVE IT ON PART OF THE DOWNTOWN, VERY SMALL PART,
BUT EVERY PROPERTY ALONG CHESTER HERE, WE, WE'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH AND THE PROPERTY RIGHT ACROSS BUT UP WAS THE ONE WE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE.
AND I KNOW WITH THAT ONE, THE FINAL CONCLUSION WAS THAT THEY COULD ALWAYS USE THE, UM, AREA AROUND THE GAZEBO.
YOU KNOW, 4 24, THE PUBLIC PARKING.
OR YOU, YOU GRANTED THE EXCEPTIONS.
SO THEY DIDN'T, I DIDN'T HAVE TO REQUIRE PARKING.
RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT.
BUT I'M JUST SAYING THAT THERE IS, THERE ARE OTHER THINGS, BUT I REALLY, I I, I CAN'T IMAGINE IF THEY CUT ALL THAT, UM, ALL THAT FOLIAGE AND STUFF BACK THAT UM, WELL, THEY'RE NOT GONNA NO, I KNOW.
WITHOUT THIS EXCEPTION, I'D HAVE TO MAKE THEM I KNOW.
THEY'D HAVE TO, I DON'T A COUPLE OF ATTORNEYS THAT ARE GONNA HAVE THEIR OFFICES THERE.
AND, BUT I JUST THINK BY THE TIME YOU TELL, I WAS THINKING TWO ATTORNEYS.
AT LEAST ONE SECRETARY OR MORE.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT COULD LITERALLY BE THE FOUR PARKING PLACES FOR JUST THEIR EMPLOYEES ALONE.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S SURROUNDED BY AMPLE PUBLIC PARKING.
I'M, I'M, I'M A DIDN'T NEED NINE PARKING SPOTS.
SHE SAID IF THEY WOULD NEED NINE, THEY SPENT 350 SQUARE OR SOMETHING.
300 SQUARE FEET OR, OR ONE PARKING SPACE PER 300 SQUARE FEET OF BUILDING SPACE.
AND THEY'RE HONESTLY NOT EVEN GONNA UTILIZE 2,600 SQUARE FEET OF THAT BUILDING.
THEY DON'T HAVE A RECEPTIONIST CURRENTLY.
FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, SCOTT WAITED HIS, UH, PARTNER THINK LAW OFFICE.
GARRISON GARRISON HOUSE TICKETS IN THE BACK.
THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER CONVERSATION.
SO QUESTIONS ABOUT E FOR 15 CHESTER STREET CONCERNS, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, THINGS THAT GIVE STAFF AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS ANYTHING OR ASK THE APPLICANT FOR SAYING, I MEAN, I KNOW WE JUST TOUCHED BASE ON IT, BUT I, I THINK THAT LATER ON, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOME TIME WE GOT LINE WHAT BRUCE WAS SAYING FOR THE, FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL SPORT TOURNAMENT.
WE SHOULD LOOK AT THE FLOOR HERE.
WELL, THERE'S PROBABLY ONLY ONE MORE BUILDING TO GO AND THEY'RE ALL EXCEPTION.
AND THESE CAUSE IT'S BEEN A PAIN.
I'M EXCITED TO SEE THIS BUILDING IN USE AGAIN.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS BEFORE WE NEEDS THE GARDENER? I'M AVAILABLE.
SO WE'LL BE MOVING THAT TO THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN F UH, THE ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO TOWN CODE CHAPTER 1 58 DASH SIX TO ADOPT REFERENCE OF VEHICULAR LAWS.
AND I KNOW, UM, GEORGE IS, I DON'T KNOW WHY I LOOKED AT UK.
THIS IS SUCH A, UM, I, I JUST REMEMBER DOING THIS EVERY YEAR SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL.
AND THE FIRST TIME I DID IT, I THOUGHT, WHAT IS THIS? AND I, AND THEN I REALIZED THAT IT'S JUST REALLY, IT'S, IT'S A FORMALITY AND WE HAVE TO DO IT, IF I MAY, IT'S AN ANNUAL EXERCISE TO READOPT ALL OF TITLE 46.2 BECAUSE, UH, EVERY YEAR, UH, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TWEAKS, UH, THE MOTOR VEHICLE LAWS.
SO INSTEAD OF DOING IT PIECEMEAL, WE DO IT WHOLESALE, WHOLESALE RE ADOPTION OF 46 2 AND A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, 18.2, CHAPTER SEVEN, OUR ARTICLE TWO OF CHAPTER SEVEN, WHICH, UM, IS, IS SOME OF THE ALCOHOL, UM, LAWS RELATING TO OPERAT MOTOR VEHICLE.
OH, I WAS JUST GETTING READY TO ASK WHAT ARE THE, JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY, WHAT ARE THE BIG, ARE THERE ANY BIG CHANGES FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR? UM, THE ONLY ONE WE REALLY USE BECAUSE THE COMMONWEALTH DOES THE DUIS MM-HMM.
THE ONLY ONE THAT I USE IS TOWN PROSECUTOR IS 18,000 200 272, WHICH IS OPERATING A MOTOR VEHICLE AFTER BEING REVOKED DUI.
AND, AND THAT'S FOUND THAT, THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT'S ORGANIZED, IT'S FOUND IN TITLE 18.2.
WHY WOULDN'T WE, COULD YOU NOT JUST SAY THAT YOU WOULD BE,
[00:35:01]
UM, ADAPTING ALL OF THE LIBERAL LAWS TO FOLLOW THE STATE LAWS JUST PERIOD? OR IS THAT JUST TOO BROAD? OR DO SOMETIMES WE MIGHT NOT WANNA ADOPT THEMIT'S PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT TOO BROAD.
WHY DON'T WE OBLIGATED? WE'RE OBLIGATED THOUGH, PROBABLY.
I MEAN, WE DON'T HAVE TO PROSECUTE 'EM.
DEPARTMENT IS OBLIGATED TO ENFORCE STATE CODE AND TOWN CODE.
BUT I THINK THE THING IS FELON.
FELONIES GO TO THE COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY.
UM, BUT CHIEF WAS THERE THAT MANY CHANGES IN 18 TWO THAT ELECTED THE, NOT LIKE IT WAS IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS LICENSE I BEEN, ESSENTIALLY THIS IS JUST THE, MOSTLY THE VAST MAJORITY OF IT IS A TRAFFIC CODE.
IT ALLOWS US TO PROSECUTE THEM, GEORGE, TO DO IT UNDER OUR ORDINANCE RATHER THAN THROUGH THE STATE CODE.
AND AM I CORRECT? I KNOW BACK WHEN I WAS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT HUNDRED YEARS AGO, UH, THE, IF YOU WROTE UNDER TOWN CODE, THE FINES CAME TO THE TOWN WROTE UNDER STATE CODE, THEY GO TO THE STATE.
THAT'S ONE REASON I SAID WE ADOPT WHATEVER WE NEED TO.
SO WE GET THE FINES THAT AREN'T, THAT OUR OFFICERS GO OUT AND WRITE.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS? CUZ IF NOT, WE'RE GONNA ADD THAT TO, UM, AND THAT HAS TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING TOO.
WHICHEVER COUNCIL MEMBER GOT ON THE GENERAL LAWS ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE.
WE'LL GET TO HEAR ALL ABOUT THIS LATER THIS YEAR.
UH, MOVING ON TO AN ITEM NUMBER THREE.
UM, AND THIS WILL BE FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA.
SO FY 23 BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR AUCTION PROCEEDS FROM SELLING AND TRANSFORMERS, BJ.
SO WE DON'T NEED THEM THIS TIME.
WE SOLD SOME SURPLUS PROPERTY.
UM, GOT A GOOD AMOUNT FOR 'EM, OBVIOUSLY $136,000.
WANTED TO TAKE THAT MONEY AND REALLOCATE IT OVER TO THE HAPPY CREEK SUBSTATION PROJECT.
IT WAS TRANSFORMERS THAT WE COULD NO LONGER USE.
DID WE SELL IT TO THE PLACE THAT REFURBISHES 'EM THAT WAY BY 'EM FROM
THAT'S WHERE WE, UH, PUT ALL OF OUR SURPLUS PROPERTY AS DO A LOT OF OTHER LOCALITIES.
UM, AND IT REACHES A BROAD SPECTRUM AND, UM, GOT A LITTLE BIT OF A BIDDING WAR OVER THESE.
IT WAS A GREAT, IT'S A GOOD, IT WAS A WIN-WIN FOR US.
AND JUST SO YOU GUYS KNOW, I ASKED THE QUESTION IS, COULD WE, DID WE LIKE THIS WAS LIKE EXTRA MONEY, COULD WE USE IT FOR SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE WEREN'T HAVING? AND I WAS QUICKLY TOLD, NO, IT HAS TO GO BACK TO THE ENTERPRISE FUND ENTERPRISE FUND BECAUSE THOSE WERE THE FUNDS THAT, AND IT IS BEING USED FOR ANOTHER PROJECT JUST WITHIN THE ENTERPRISE.
I JUST THOUGHT I'D TELL PEOPLE THE PROSPECT STREET BRIDGE
UM, ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? THAT'S NOT, THAT SEEMS LIKE A, I'M GONNA ADD TO MY NOTES.
IT WAS A FITTING WAR, SO NEXT YEAR I CAN REMEMBER.
UM, SO B IS THE REAPPOINTMENT OF A NON-ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE TO N S BRC.
UM, AND JOE, YOUR LISTED THE SIDE OF IT, BUT IT'S, IT'S, UH, WAYNE, RIGHT? NO, WAYNE IS THE ELECTED.
OH, TAKE THE NON-ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE ASKED YOU THE SAME THING LAST WEEK.
I'M, I'M STARTING TO BE FORGETFUL.
SO IT IS LAUREN'S THE LUCKY WINNER.
THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU'RE NOT, SORRY, WAYNE.
YEAH, WAYNE, YOU'RE THE ELECTED MEMBER TO THAT, RIGHT? SO, SO, YEAH.
SO LAUREN, YOU GOOD WITH THAT? LAUREN
I WAS LIKE, WAIT, WAS SHE GONNA SAY NO, I'M BEING VOLUNTOLD.
UH, SO NOBODY HAS ANY ISSUES FOR THAT.
THAT'LL BE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR THE 26TH.
DJ HAD TOLD US BEFORE THAT HE WOULD COME BACK TO US AND SHARE SOME THANK YOU INFO.
SO, UH, YEAH, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START WITH THIS.
THE PROSPECT BRIDGE, $1.5 MILLION, UH, ROUGHLY IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
WE HAVE APPLIED FOR VDOT UH, REVENUE SHARING ON THIS.
THE VDOT REVENUE SHARING WOULDN'T BE AVAILABLE IF, IF WE WERE EVEN APPROVED, UH, FOR A FEW YEARS.
UM, THERE'S NO GUARANTEES WE WILL GET APPROVED AT THIS POINT IN TIME, BUT, UH, LATEST PROJECT ESTIMATES 1.5 MILLION, THE FISCAL YEAR 24 BUDGET.
WE DID ALLOCATE $300,000, UH, OF THAT BUDGET TO IT.
UH, THE MS GUER 23, UH, BUDGET AMENDMENT THAT WE DID A FEW WEEKS AGO FOR THE ADDITIONAL, UH, REVENUE WE DID ALLOCATE THAT OVER, OVER THE $330,000.
[00:40:01]
MORE TO COME FORWARD IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT.UM, I WAS JUST THROWING OUT SOME IDEAS HERE, BUT THE, UH, ONE OF THE IDEAS WAS TO ALLOCATE, UH, ADDITIONAL MONEY FROM THE, UH, SECONDARY PAVING PLAN OF $262,000 OVER TOWARD IT.
UM, AS WELL AS, UH, $150,000 THAT WE WERE GONNA TRY TO USE FOR A TRANSPORTATION PLAN THAT WOULD, UH, GIVE US ANOTHER $412,000, UM, AND PUT US WITHIN HALF A MILLION DOLLARS OF THE BEING ABLE TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT.
UM, EITHER WAY WE WOULDN'T HAVE ENOUGH FUNDS AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IT.
THIS WOULD JUST GET A LITTLE ONE STEP CLOSER.
UM, IF WE PUTTING IT UP FOR COUNCIL'S DISCUSSION, FOUR THEM MAKES US A HALF A MILLION IN THE NEXT YEAR.
MY CONCERN WITH PROSPECT STREET BRIDGE.
I, I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL HAVE GONE UP.
Y'ALL NEED TO GO UP AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
IT'S, AM I CORRECT? IT'S GOT TERM LIGHTS IN IT.
UH, WE'VE HAD PEOPLE GO ACROSS AND BLOW TIRES OUT.
UM, OF COURSE, I, I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE.
THERE'S NOBODY GET FIRE APPARATUS ACROSS THERE.
AND I BELIEVE IT'S GONNA COME TO THE POINT THAT IT'S NOT GONNA BE AN AMBULANCE ACROSS THERE.
WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK HARD FOR THIS MONEY SOMEWHERE, SOMEHOW.
AND EITHER THAT, OR WE NEED TO CLOSE THAT BRIDGE TO, TO TRA TO VEHICLE OR TRAFFIC.
CAUSE I'VE GOT OUT AND WALKED OVER AND I'M GONNA TELL YOU WHAT IT IS BAD.
OH, I GO OVER IT ALL THE TIME.
WELL, YEAH, YOU LIVE RIGHT THERE.
I MEAN IT'S, I MEAN, SOME OF THOSE BOLTS ARE STICKING UP THIS FAR.
I THINK IT'S BEEN ON THE PAST THREE COUNCIL'S AGENDA TO ADDRESS PROSPECT STREET BRIDGE, AND I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY DOUBLED, IF NOT TRIPLED IN COSTS SINCE THEN.
I FEEL LIKE THE LA THE ONE OF THE TIMES WE TALKED ABOUT IT WAS, I WANNA SAY IT WAS 800,000.
YEAH, WELL THAT'S WHAT YOU TOLD US THE FIRST TIME WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT.
THEY, THEY TOLD ME YEAH, IT WAS 800,000.
BUT THAT JUST GOES TO TELL YOU HOW 2012 OR SOMETHING, KINDA LIKE THE REDUNDANT WATER LINE FAR BACK.
WELL, IF NOT THEN IT WAS LIKE 15.
I KNOW WHEN I STARTED COMING TO COUNCIL MEETINGS AND HEARING ABOUT IT.
UM, YEAH, IT, IT'S, IT'S INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY.
BUT I KNOW I ASKED THIS LAST, WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THE BRIDGE WAS INSPECTED? LAST SEPTEMBER? OCTOBER HAS TO BE DONE EVERY YEAR.
WE HAVE 10 STRUCTURE, WE HAVE 10 STRUCTURES AND ALL 10 HAVE TO BE INSPECTED EVERY YEAR.
THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT DONE.
THE STUFF WE BID OUT, THE, UH, THE TIMBERS, THE, THAT WAS JUST TO KEEP IT, WE WERE GONNA CLOSE INSPECTION.
THE STATE WAS GONNA MAKE SOME CLOSE.
SO, UM, MAY YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY, LET ME, BECAUSE EVERYBODY WAS KIND OF TALKING ONCE.
SO WHAT, WHY, WHY WHEN I DO THE, THE MATH, THERE'S UH, $58,000 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, UH, I COME UP WITH 867,000.
I MEAN THIS IS A PROJECT ESTIMATE.
SO I MEAN, ONCE I THOUGHT ADDITIONAL, ADDITIONAL, NO, THE $300,000 AND 330,000 IS THE AMOUNT WE ARE THE FIGURES THAT WE HAVE ALLOCATED TOWARD IT.
SO 630,000 IS WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
WON'T THERE BE AN INITIAL? WELL, ANYTIME.
ISN'T THERE LIKE THAT INITIAL, UM, LIKE ENGINEERING OR LIKE TO SOME LIKE TO LOOK AT IT, SAY THIS IS WHAT IT NEEDS AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
IS THERE ANY WAY WE COULD TAKE, START USING THE BEGINNING MONEY TO AT LEAST GET THE, THOSE INITIAL COSTS OUT OF THE WAY AND THEN HOPEFULLY, CUZ THE COST SHARING WOULDN'T EVEN HAPPEN UNTIL 2027.
WE WERE TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO FUND IT WITHOUT COST SHARING.
OH NO, I KNOW, BUT I'M JUST SAYING MAYBE IF WE DID A LITTLE BIT AND A LITTLE BIT, BOBBY, CAN WE PIECEMEAL IT?
I THINK YOU COULD, I MEAN IF YOU WANTED TO, ENGINEERING IS DONE ON THE, WE HAD AN, I THOUGHT WE HAD AN ENGINEER FOR THE MOST PART.
AND THE LAST QUESTION I HAD, I KNOW I BROUGHT THIS UP LAST MONTH WHEN I ASKED THIS TO BE PUT ON AGAIN.
BUT, UM, THE BRIDGE IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE LIKE STRUCTURALLY.
SO IT WON'T, I KNOW IT'S NOT GONNA BE LIKE ANY HIGHER, WIDER, IT'S STILL GONNA BE A SINGLE LANE BRIDGE.
IT'LL BE THE SAME HEIGHT, ALL OF THAT.
IT'LL JUST BE AN ACTUAL BRIDGE
WOULD IT BE GREAT DECK, KREER ROAD BRIDGE? YEAH.
IT WOULD BE MORE, I DON'T ALSO HAVE THE STONE BECAUSE OF THE WIDTH.
IT'LL HAVE NEW GUARDRAIL, NEW LIKE APPROACH, APPROACH, RAILING AND ALL THAT STUFF WILL BE FIXED.
LIKE THE STONEWALL, STONEWALL DRIVE.
BUT THAT'S NOT REALLY, IT WOULDN'T BE LIKE THAT.
NOW A STREET WILL LOOK JUST LIKE, UH, KREER CREER WITH THE STONE AND ALL THAT.
CAN YOU, CAN YOU SAVE MONEY BY DOING A TRUST TYPE BRIDGE AS OPPOSED TO THE CONCRETE? WELL,
[00:45:01]
I MEAN THIS IS PUTTING THE STEEL BEANS BACK THAT'S THERE TO SUPPORT THE CONCRETE IS THE WASTE DESIGN NOW.I MEAN, THE TRUSS BRIDGES ARE GENERAL AND CHEAPER THAN, UH, WELL WE ALREADY HAVE STEEL BEAM, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? YEAH.
CAUSE THAT'S WAY THE 1.5 IS NOT REPLACING ANY ABUTS IN THE WATER.
THAT'S JUST EVERYTHING ABOVE IT FROM THE BEAMS UP.
SO EVERYTHING IN THE WATER AND UP TO THE BEAMS IS OKAY.
THERE'S SOME STONE WORK THAT'S IN THERE, BUT IT'S NOTHING REAL EXTREMELY BAD.
THAT THEY WOULD PATCH AND DOING THE STONE WORK.
BUT, SO DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO, SO IT'S REALLY RUSTED.
DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO OFFER? UM, TALKING WITH BJ, UH, LAST COUPLE WEEKS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS PROJECT AND WHAT I, WHAT, WHAT BJ SAYS IS WE'VE GOT WHAT, 630,000 ALLOCATED FOR IT.
AND I SUSPECT THIS BRIDGE IS GONNA RUN 1.5, 1.8, BUT WE, WE CAN GET ANOTHER BID OUT TO GET A CLOSER FIGURE.
BUT OUR THOUGHT IS THE QUICKEST WE COULD DO IT BESIDES THE REVENUE SHARING, WHICH IS 50 50 IS 27, 28.
BUT IT'S POSSIBLE THAT WE COULD REALLOCATE SOME OF OUR EXCESS REVENUE LIKE WE DID THIS YEAR TOWARDS THAT PROJECT AND THEN PUT MORE MONEY IN IN JULY 1ST.
SO I THINK REALISTICALLY CONCEIVABLY WE COULD POSSIBLY START THIS PROJECT IN JULY OF NEXT YEAR.
WE HAVE TO ALLOCATE MONEY, BUT I, I DO BELIEVE THAT'S THE QUICKEST WE CAN DO RIGHT NOW.
AND 630 IS THE MOST WE'VE EVER HAD TOWARDS THIS PROJECT, WHICH WE CAME UP WITH PRETTY QUICKLY.
I JUST, I KNOW THAT SEVERAL COUNCILS BEFORE US MADE THIS A PRIORITY AND IT IS A PRIORITY TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO ESPECIALLY IF WE'D HAVE TO SHUT IT DOWN THAT THAT'S WHEN IT WOULD GET A REAL PRIOR FOLKS THAT YEAH, NO, I KNOW.
I MEAN WE DEFINITELY HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON IT AND SEE.
SO WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU SUGGEST THE, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CONTINUE WITH THE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, BUT, BUT MAYBE DIVERT THE UH, SECONDARY, I'M NOT RECOMMENDING DIVERTING THE TRANSPORTATION, ANYBODY OR THAT, BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE THAT'S NOT GONNA GET US TO THE BASELINE.
WE'VE BEEN WAITING ON, SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE IN THIS POSITION CAUSE WE TOOK MONEY ALLOCATED FOR THE BRIDGE FOR SOMETHING ELSE EARLIER.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE, SO WE'RE STARTING OVER AGAIN.
SO MY RECOMMENDATION IS THIS 630 WE DO NOT TOUCH, BUT IT'S FOR THE BRIDGE ONLY MOVING BE MY RECOMMENDATION.
IS IT EASTWOOD? WHAT'S THAT ONE THAT WE HAD? WE HAVE, WE DIDN'T WANT TO NOT FINISH THAT.
SO THAT ONE BE OFF THE BOOKS BY NEXT YEAR.
UH, WE HAVE ONE MORE YEAR ON THAT.
I'M, SO WE HAVE THAT'S, OH, I'M SORRY.
IT MAY, I MEAN I THINK THE WOOD'S GONNA GIVE WAY HUNDRED 50,000.
I MEAN WE HAVE SOMEBODY GO ACROSS IT AND THEIR CARD DROPS DOWN.
ARE WE LIABLE FOR IT? SINCE WE KNOW ABOUT IT? BUT WE HAVE A VDOT STUDY EVERY YEAR THAT SAYS WE CAN USE IT.
SO TECHNICALLY WE DOT WOULD BE LIABLE.
CAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES WHO INSPECT IT.
SO I WANTED TO MAKE COUNSEL AWARE.
I HAVE TAKEN SEVERAL PHONE CALLS FROM RESIDENTS IN THE AREA, COMPLAINED ABOUT THE BRIDGE MM-HMM.
AND SOME OF THE COMPLAINTS ARE THE EXCESSIVE NOISE OF THE BRIDGE WHEN PEOPLE TRAVEL AT NIGHT ACROSS THERE.
SO I JUST WANT YOU TO BE AWARE, I HAVE FIELD THOSE CALLS EVEN AS LAST WEEK ON THIS PROSPECT BRIDGE.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT THE BRIDGE INSPECTION IN OCTOBER SAID THE STRUCTURE IS IN FAIR CONDITION.
THEY HAD SOME RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT THEY WEREN'T ADVOCATING FOR CLOSING A BRIDGE.
BUT I THINK AT SOME POINT COUNSEL MAY BE IN A POSITION TO SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, TWO, TWO CLOSE UP BRIDGE TUB, PARTICULAR TRAFFIC.
BUT RIGHT NOW I THINK IT'S RATED WHAT, FIVE TONS? YES.
SO REALLY, YOU KNOW, EMERGENCY VEHICLES REALLY CAN'T EVEN CROSS IT RIGHT NOW AS IT STANDS.
SO BESIDES THAT, IT'S JUST INGRESS, INGRESS FOR THE RESIDENCE IN THAT AREA RIGHT NOW.
UM, BOBBY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANSWERS.
AND THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD INSPECT IT AGAIN IN OCTOBER THEN, RIGHT? IS IT IT'S DUE IN OCTOBER.
UM, OUR ENGINEER FOR IN INCOME JAIL.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS AND WE SENT ALL 10 OF 'EM TOGETHER.
SO, SO WHEN THEY DID THE REIN, THE INSPECTION, THEY STILL RATED IT AT FIVE TONS MM-HMM.
AND THEN THEY LOWERED IT SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
THEY LOWERED IT 10, I THINK IT WAS, I THINK THEY CUT IT IN HALF.
IT WAS EIGHT OR 10, BUT I THINK IT WAS, IT WAS EIGHT.
THEY DON'T, THEY WAITED, THEY, UM, RATE IT ON THE WEIGHT, BUT THEY DON'T RATE, LIKE LOOKING AT THE BOLTS THAT ARE POKING OUT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
THE DETAIL REPORT GOES OVER EVERYTHING THAT THEY, THEY INDICATE THAT NEEDS
[00:50:01]
REPAIRED OR FIXED.AND WE HAVE A LIST OF RECOMMENDATIONS TO FOLLOW UP ON.
BUT THEY WOULD DICTATE IF THE BRIDGE, THEY FELT THE BRIDGE WAS UNSAFE.
THEY WOULD'VE TOLD US IN THAT REPORT WHEN THEY SAID IT WAS IN FAIR CONDITION.
SO, UM, FOUR B IS THE DISCUSSION PERTAINING TO THE PERSONAL PROPERTY AND REAL ESTATE TAX DUE DATE, WHICH I'M, I'M, I'M GLAD WE'RE BRINGING THIS UP AGAIN CAUSE I'M YOU, DANA WAS CALLS ON, ON SOCIAL MEDIA EARLIER TONIGHT.
SOMEBODY SAID THAT TOWN COUNCIL WAS, UH, HAD SUMMER WERE HAD SUMMER VACATION.
THAT'S WHY I'M COLLECTING TAXES.
I'M JUST, I HAVE TO GIGGLE AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
CAUSE I TOLD MY HUSBAND, I WAS LIKE, APPARENTLY THEY THINK WE'RE GOING ON SUMMER VACATION WITH THE TAX MONEY.
SO I'M MAKING A JOKE ABOUT ALL OF THAT FOR THE REST, FOR JUST, I HAD TO MAKE A JOKE ABOUT IT CUZ I DIDN'T RESPOND.
SORRY BJ, I HAVE TO REFRAIN FROM RESPONDING SOMETIMES.
SO I HAD TO REFER, CAN YOU REMIND THE PUBLIC THAT THE, THE COUNCIL LAST YEAR DECLINED INCREASING OUR STIPEND THAT WAS ON THE AGENDA LAST YEAR AND WE, WE DECLINED IT.
UM, SO THE LAST FIVE YEARS WE'VE UM, HAD A DELAY IN TAXES IN ONE FASHION OR ANOTHER.
UH, FOUR, UH, AT LEAST FOUR OF THE FIVE YEARS WE'VE DELAYED BOTH PERSONAL PROPERTY AND REAL ESTATE TAX, UM, INTEREST AND PENALTIES.
UM, THERE WAS ONE YEAR WHERE, UH, PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES DIDN'T GO OUT ON TIME.
WHAT I'M REQUESTING IS, IS FOR, UH, OUR ORDINANCE TO BE UPDATED OR, UH, TO MAYBE PUT HER ON A LIAISON MEETING FOR DISCUSSION MM-HMM.
UM, UH, BECAUSE, UH, WHAT'S HAPPENING IS, IS THAT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO FOLLOW OUR OWN OWN ORDINANCE BASICALLY.
UH, WE HAVE A TAX BILLING OR A DUE DATE OF JUNE 5TH.
UM, WE'VE EXCEEDED THAT, LIKE I SAY, FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
UH, SO WHAT I'M WANTING TO DO IS TO, UH, REVIEW POSSIBLY MAKING THE DUE DATE JUNE 20TH OR, UH, FINDING OUT, FIGURING OUT A PROCESS TO, UH, TO GET THE, UH, INFORMATION THAT WE NEED FROM THE WARREN COUNTY IN THEM.
I'D LOVE TO ADD THAT TO THE LIAISON AGENDA BECAUSE SOMEBODY CALLED ME TODAY ABOUT THIS AND YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE THE APPEALS PROCESS GOING ON THE COUNTY AND PEOPLE WERE COMPLAINING THAT THE TOWN COULD HAVE AT LEAST GOT THEIRS OUT.
AND I'M LIKE, WE CAN'T DO OURS WITHOUT THE COUNTY'S PART.
SO I HAD TO, I WAS ON THE PHONE FOR ABOUT AN HOUR A TODAY EXPLAINING TO SOMEBODY HOW THE TOWN FOLLOWS THE COUNTY IN THAT REGARD BECAUSE OF THE COMMISSIONER I WHO THE TREASURER.
AND ANYWAYS, I WOULD LIKE, BECAUSE IF WE DO IT ON THE 20TH AND THEN WE SEND 'EM OUT ON THE FIFTH, I WOULD LIKE TO, AND WE'VE EXTENDED IT FOR FIVE YEARS IN A ROW.
IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT'S GOING AWAY.
THE, AND IT, IT IS CONFUSING THE WAY WE HAVE TO DO IT BECAUSE WE CAN'T JUST CHANGE THE DUE DATE.
UH, THE DUE DATE IS SET BY ORDINANCE.
SO WE HAVE TO, THE DUE DATE HAS TO REMAIN THE SAME.
SO THE WORKAROUND IS FOR US TO EXTEND THE PENALTY AND INTEREST, UM, WHICH WE HAVE DONE.
UM, AND UH, IT'S STRESSFUL EVERY YEAR THAT YES, YOU GET UP HERE SWEATING AND YOU'RE LIKE, WELL, I DON'T KNOW.
WELL THIS, I'M, I'M ASKING, AND THEN THAT'S WHY I DON'T, WE SHOULD DISCUSS IT AT LIAISON MEETING.
WAS THE HOLD UP THIS YEAR THE REASSESSMENTS, DO YOU THINK? OR, BUT THEN I'M THINKING LAST YEAR THERE WEREN'T REASSESSMENTS, BUT IT WAS THE WHOLE PERSONAL, IT'S BEEN FOR FIVE YEARS.
THERE'S BEEN DIFFERENT REASONS, UH, YOU KNOW, A VERY, BUT, BUT ARE ANY OF THOSE REASONS GONNA STILL BE HAPPENING EVERY OTHER YEAR OR WAS IT JUST A ONE TIME GIG OR? I BELIEVE ONE YEAR WAS A DELAY, UH, FROM WARREN COUNTY TO SET THEIR TAXES DUE AS TAX RATES DUE TO THE, UM, UH, STATE NOT SETTING THEIR BUDGETS.
THEY WERE, THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, ANTICIPATING WHAT FUNDS WERE COMING FROM THE STATE.
UM, AND I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND IT'S JUST WANT TO GET ON THE SAME PAGE.
AND I WANNA SAY, WASN'T THERE SOMETHING WITH THE COMPUTER SYSTEM LAST YEAR, THINK THE COMPUTER TWO OR THREE YEARS AGO, YEARS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BECAUSE THEY MIGHT ACTUALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF PUSHING IT BACK TOO.
BECAUSE THE STATE DOES SEEM TO BE GETTING LATER AND LATER IT'S BEEN AN ISSUE WITH FUNDING THE SCHOOLS LAST YEAR.
IT WAS AFTER THE BUDGET WAS SET THAT THEY GOT IT FROM THE STATE, FROM WHAT THEY HAD TO FUND THE SCHOOLS.
SO I DON'T LOOK FOR IT TO GET ANY BETTER AT THE STATE LEVEL ANYTIME SOON.
IT USED TO BE THEY WERE, IT USED TO BE THEY KNEW IT BEFORE THEY LEFT SESSION IN MARCH AND NOW SESSIONS GO OVER, THE SESSIONS ARE LASTING.
SO, SO BASICALLY IT'S NOT HER FAULT
LET'S JUST, BUT NOBODY HER FAULT.
AND, BUT WE, BUT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE US PUT IT ON LIAISON MEETING AND POSSIBLY IN THE FUTURE JUST CHANGING OUR ORDINANCE TO PUSH THE DATE BACK.
BUT I WILL, I JUST WANNA SAY IF WE, IF WE WERE TO PUSH IT BACK TO JUNE 20TH, THEN DIDN'T, THEN WOULDN'T YOU HAVE TO PUSH THE DECEMBER BACK TO DECEMBER 20TH? UH, AND I JUST THINK ABOUT CAN I, I MEAN, WASN'T REALLY THINKING OUT THAT FAR, BUT, WELL, I, THAT'S HOW I'M BACK TO WELL I'M JUST THINKING IF YOU DID, RIGHT.
[00:55:01]
THERE'S SIX MONTHS, LIKE PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY DECEMBER, WE GET ALL, WE GET ALL THE INFORMATION IN THE SPRING HERE, SO WE ALREADY HAVE IT FOR DECEMBER.SO WE'RE NOT HELD UP, UH, FROM RECEIVING INFORMATION FOR THE SECOND, WE ALREADY HAVE IT ON FIVE.
PRINCE WILLIAM HAS TO DUE DATE OF JULY 15TH OR 17TH, UHHUH
AND THEN, AND THEN THEIR SECOND INSTALLMENT IS DECEMBER 5TH.
SO, UH, THAT, THAT DOESN'T COME INTO PLAY.
I JUST FEEL LIKE THAT IT JUST MAKES OKAY, LIKE SIX MONTHS GIVES PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET IT.
AND, UH, BUT THE OTHER THING THAT BJ WAS JUST MENTIONING THAT WAYNE ASKED ABOUT WHEN WE ALL GOT HOURS PERSONALLY ON THIS COUNCIL LAST WEEK, IT TELLS YOU WHAT YOUR SECOND HALF'S GONNA BE.
SO WE KNOW THEY'RE NOT, IT'S NOT A SURPRISE IN DECEMBER.
HOPEFULLY THEY'RE SAVING FOR BEST.
WELL, IT REALLY SHOULDN'T BE A SURPRISE THAT IT'S COMING EITHER.
AND PEOPLE KEPT SAYING THAT ALL OVER, WAS LIKE, WELL, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT, THAT I THINK THERE WAS A FRUSTRATION OF THAT.
THEY DIDN'T, THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT WHEN IT WAS DUE UNTIL IT ACTUALLY CAME IN THE MAIL.
AND I'M KIND OF LIKE YOU, LIKE I KNOW JUNE 5TH AND DECEMBER 5TH BECAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU GOTTA PAID ENOUGH TO SHOP ON BLACK FRIDAY TO MAKE SURE YOU CAN PLAY RIGHT.
I MEAN, IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE THAT LIVES LIKE THAT OR YOUR HOUSE? YEAH.
OR YOUR HOUSE, YOU KNOW, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS OR WHATEVER.
BUT UM, BUT SO PEOPLE DO KNOW IT'S COMING, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT.
BUT UM, ANYWAY, BJ WE WILL DEFINITELY LOOK INTO THIS AND, AND, AND, UH, WE NEED ITEMS. I WAS GONNA SAY THAT WAS, UH, WE WILL BE NEEDING TO GIVE THE THINGS FOR OUR LIAISON MEETING IN JULY, SO WE'LL DEFINITELY PUT THIS ON THERE.
LIKE TO REVISE THE TOWN CODE, WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN, LIKE PROCESS WISE, PUBLIC HEARING.
SO I MEAN THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BE NOT TOUGH AT ALL.
WE COULD DO IT, BUT IT'S JUST A MATTER.
I DO THINK WE OUGHT TO DISCUSS IT WITH THE COUNTY THOUGH, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE CONFUSING IF WE DID A DIFFERENT DATE THAN THEY DID.
I WOULD THINK, YOU KNOW, LIKE, YEAH.
JOE, WHAT WERE YOU GONNA SAY? I WAS JUST GONNA SAY THAT WHAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED THIS YEAR, I THINK NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AT THE LIAISON MEETING BECAUSE EVEN WHEN WE MOVE THE GOAL LINE TO JUNE 20TH, THERE'S STILL THAT ISSUE OF GETTING ALL THAT INFORMATION THAT WE NEED TO TRY TO IMPROVE THAT PROCESS SOMEHOW.
RIGHT? WELL, CUZ THEY GOT THEIRS OUT BEFORE WE GOT OURS OUT.
BUT THAT'S BECAUSE THEY HAD THE INFORMATION AND THEN THEY GAVE IT TO YOU ALL.
AND THEN PEOPLE WERE LIKE, WELL I GOT MY COUNTY ONE, WHY DO I HAVE MY TOWN ONE? YOU KNOW? AND SO, UM, SO YEAH, I THINK THAT IS A GOOD SPOT TO DISCUSS IT.
AND THEN, AND THEN IF NEED BE, WE CAN LOOK AT CHANGING THE ORDINANCE, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
YOU JUST HAVE TO REALLY EDUCATE PEOPLE, HAVE IT IN THE BANK.
I MEAN THAT'S OTHER THING, ESCROWS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT INVOLVED WITH THAT.
I FEEL LIKE SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, IT'S HAPPENED, SO THAT'S WHY I'M LIKE, IT'S NOT THAT UNCOMMON, IT FEELS LIKE.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? NO.
SO ITEM FIVE A, UM, ARE THE LEGAL FEES FOR THE, UH, LITIGATION WITH THE WARREN COUNTY E D A, UM, AND BJ AND GEORGIA, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THAT.
UM, HOW ABOUT I'LL READ THE SUMMARY.
I'LL SAVE, SAVE JOE FROM HAVING TO DO THAT.
SO ON NOVEMBER 25TH, 2019, COUNCIL APPROVED PAYMENT TO DAMIANI AND DAMIANI FOR LEGAL SERVICES RELATED TO THE TOWN'S CIVIL SUIT AGAINST THE FRONT ROW WARREN COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, UH, NOT TO EXCEED $200,000.
THESE FUNDS HAVE BEEN EXPENDED AND COUNSEL IS NOW REQUESTED TO INCREASE THE THRESHOLD FOR ONGOING LEGAL SERVICES PROVIDED BY DAMIANI AND DAMIANI FOR LITIGATION INVOLVING FRONT RULE.
WARREN COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY COUNSEL PREVIOUSLY ALLOCATED AN ADDITIONAL $158,139 FOR POTENTIAL LITIGATION FEES FOR ONGOING LITIGATION.
BUT COUNSEL HAS NOT, HAS NOT AUTHORIZED PAYMENT THOUGH 158,100 $158,139 REMAINS BUDGETED AND UNSPENT PER THE VIRGINIA PUBLIC PROCUREMENT ACT, 2.2 DASH 43 44 EXEMPTIONS FROM COMPETITION FOR CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS.
THE PURCHASE OF LEGAL SERVICE IS PROVIDED THAT THE PERTINENT PROVISIONS OF CHAPTER FIVE 2.2 DASH 500, UH, UH, REMAIN APPLICABLE OR EXPERT WITNESSES OR OTHER SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH LITIGATION OR REGULATORY PROCEEDINGS.
GEORGE, DO YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THAT? UM, WELL, I MEAN, I DON'T, THERE'S NOT TOO MUCH I WANNA SAY IN OPEN SESSION.
OTHER THAN, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS ORIGINAL AUTHORIZATION WAS 2019.
[01:00:02]
UH, HERE WE ARE FOUR YEARS.UM, AND, UM, WE'VE JUST BUMPED UP AGAINST THE ORIGINAL AUTHORIZATION.
UM, THERE, THIS ALSO COVERS THE LAWSUIT FILED BY THE E D A AGAINST THE TOWN.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S BOTH OF THOSE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE LAWSUITS ARE DORMANT FOR THE MOST PART RIGHT NOW, BUT, UM, AS ANYONE CAN OBSERVE FROM WATCHING THE AGENDA, WE GO INTO CLOSE FOR, UM, ON THE ISSUE OF LITIGATION WITH THE E D A.
SO, UH, WE STILL NEED THE ADVICE OF COUNSEL.
UM, CAN YOU EXPLAIN, GEORGE, HOW THAT MONEY IS SPENT? YOU MENTIONED GOING INTO CLOSED AND SO FORTH.
SO QUESTION IS, HOW DOES, HOW DOES THAT MONEY GETS SPENT? JUST BRIEFLY? UM, IT'S JUST HOURLY BILLINGS BY OUR COUNCIL.
UM, AND THOSE BILLINGS ARE, ARE DETAILED, UM, AND INVOICED BY, UH, BY COUNCIL TO THE TOWN.
FOR ANY TIME THEY'RE REVIEWING MATERIAL, ANYTIME THEY'RE DOING A CORRESPONDENCES, ANYTIME THEY'RE CALLING SOMEBODY YES.
GENERATING A LETTER, YOU KNOW, IT'S PRICEY.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S BACK, IT'S BACK IN FRONT OF ME.
AND, AND BECAUSE THERE HAD BEEN AN AMOUNT SET AS A THRESHOLD BEFORE, THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE NEEDED TO BRING IT BACK, UM, FOR COUNSEL.
AND SO I BELIEVE THE, THE, THE, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO JUST, UH, INCREASE THE THRESHOLD TO 250,000, WHICH IS AN ADDITIONAL 50,000.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? AND THAT'S ON AN AD NEEDED BASIS, RIGHT? YES.
THERE'S 50 IN THE BANK OF, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
AND IT'S WHAT CANNOT BE COVERED BY INSURANCE, CORRECT? UH, THIS, YEAH, THIS IS, THIS ONE IS NOT COVERED BY INSURANCE.
AND JUST IN, JUST, JUST TO CLARIFY THAT, I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THAT CUZ THAT WAS SOMETHING I WAS EDUCATED ON MYSELF RECENTLY IS SO WHEN, WHEN YOU ARE THE PERSON THAT IS, WHEN YOU ARE THE GROUP, WHATEVER ENTITY THAT'S SUING SOMEONE ELSE, YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LEGAL FEES.
IF YOU ARE BEING SUED, THEN THERE ARE, WE HAVE INSURANCE FOR THAT.
IS THAT CORRECT, MR. SONIC? SOMEWHAT, POTENTIALLY.
POTENTIAL DEPENDS ON WHAT THE YEAH.
BUT, BUT THERE IS SOME ASSISTANCE WITH THAT, I GUESS IS THE WORD I'M LOOKING FOR.
UM, SO, BUT DID I HEAR YOU SAY PART OF THIS IS ALSO ABOUT THE AGAINST US? UH, DAMIANI AND DAMIANI ALSO REPRESENT THE TOWN ON THE LAWSUIT FILED BY THE E D A AGAINST THE TOWN, UH, LAST YEAR.
UM, NO, I THINK IT'S BEEN A COUPLE YEARS.
THAT ONE'S BEEN TWO, TWO, AND BJ CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT THE BUDGET FUNDING LINE PROBABLY SHOULD ACTUALLY READ 50,000.
IF, UH, UM, I WAS SHOWING THAT WE DID HAVE 150,000, ACTUALLY 158, ACTUALLY MORE THAN THAT.
UM, UH, IF COUNCIL CHOOSES TO GO WITH THE 50,000, THEN I WOULD ADJUST THAT TO BE 50,000.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SO BECAUSE THIS IS A REGULAR, UM, COUNCIL WORK SESSION, WE CAN ACTUALLY TAKE ACTION, UM, TONIGHT.
SO, UM, IS THERE SOMEBODY THAT, UH, I, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
I MOVE THAT COUNSEL INCREASED THE THRESHOLD FOR ONGOING LEGAL SERVICES PROVIDED BY DAMIANI AND DAMIANI FOR THE TOWN'S LITIGATION INVOLVING THE FRONT ROYAL WARREN COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, W C E D A, NOT TO EXCEED 250,000, WHICH IS AN ADDITIONAL 50002ND.
ANY DISCUSSION? I BELIEVE WE PROBABLY ALREADY HAD THE DISCUSSION, BUT
UM, LET'S DO A ROLL CALL THEN.
COUNCILWOMAN D DEMONACO PAYNE.
[01:05:01]
OKAY.AND THEN, UM, SO THAT WAS ACTION NUMBER FIVE AND NUMBER SIX IS, UM, OUR CLOSED MEETING.
AND SO AGAIN, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION, KIND OF A, A SHORT ONE IF ANYBODY GOT THAT ON THEIR SCREEN.
COUNCIL, CONVENE EN CLOSED MEETING PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 2.2 DASH 37 11 AND 2.2 DASH 37.
FOLLOW OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSE, PURSUANT TO SECTION 2.2 DASH 37 1 1 OF VIRGINIA FOR THE DISCUSSION OF CONSIDERATION.
ASSIGNMENT, APPOINTMENT, PROMOTION, PERFORMANCE, DEMOTION, SALARIES, DISCIPLINE OR RESIGNATION OF SPECIFIC PUBLIC OFFICERS, APPOINTEES OR EMPLOYEES OF ANY PUBLIC BODY.
MORE SPECIFICALLY TOWN ATTORNEY APPOINTMENTS TO THE PLANNING, COMMISSION AND BOARD APPEAL.
COUNCILWOMAN DESCO PAYNE? YES.
SO WE'RE GONNA NOW MOVE INTO CLOSE.
IF ANYBODY NEEDS A RESTROOM BREAK, THIS WILL BE A GREAT TIME FOR THAT.